All the Formulas of the World: How Mathematics Explains the Laws of Nature

Galileo Galilei said: «The book of nature is written in the language of mathematics». Almost four centuries later, we continue to be amazed by the fact that mathematical methods are perfectly suited for describing our world. Even more astonishing are the scientific discoveries made based on mathematical analysis of equations. Creating any complex structure — from a clever road interchange to a quantum computer — involves mathematical calculations. To fully understand the workings of gravity or quantum phenomena, we also cannot do without mathematics. But it seems so complicated and confusing! How can we stop being afraid of formulas and love mathematics? Why is it so effective in the natural sciences? Is there a limit to this, or, on the contrary, for a deeper understanding of nature, will we have to create mathematical structures that no longer fit within the human mind? All these questions are addressed in the pages of the book, and their artistic interpretation is presented in a series of drawings by the artist Rostan Tavaev. For many of them, it is impossible to find definitive, unambiguous answers. But we continue to discuss them and try to understand how this world is arranged. To do this, we will need to overcome the division into «two cultures»: «humanists» and «naturals». Let's try to take another step in this direction.